Daily GK Update 20th May 2017

India betters ranking in international tourist arrivals

i. India has jumped 16 places in the revised United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) rankings to settle at 24th for 2014 and 2015. Earlier, India was ranked 41st and 40th in 2014 and 2015 as per the global ranking, respectively.

ii. UNWTO is the United Nation’s agency managing promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism and its barometer ranks countries in terms of their ITAs- comprising both foreign tourist arrivals as well as non-resident arrivals.

Static Takeaways-

• Headquarter of UN World Tourism Organization is in Madrid, Spain
• Mr. Taleb Rifai is Secretary-General of the UNWTO

Hyderabad’s Turbo Megha Airways first private airline to get UDAN licence

i. Turbo Megha Airways has become the first private airline to get a licence to fly under UDAN, the government scheme for subsidized regional flights.

ii. The Hyderabad-based airline which flies as TruJet stated that it will launch flights on Hyderabad-Cuddapah, Hyderabad-Nanded and Nanded-Mumbai routes.

iii. The five airlines awarded the rights to fly UDAN flights so far are Air India, SpiceJet, Turbo Megha, Air Odisha and G.R. Gopinath led Deccan Air.

Static Takeaways-

• Full form of UDAN is 'Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik'
• UDAN scheme was declared by civil aviation ministry of India in October 2016. The scheme was launched in January 2017
• Under this yojana traveler can buy tickets at Rs. 2500.Only 50% of the seats in a flight belonging to this scheme.

Visakhapatnam railway station cleanest, Darbhanga dirtiest says survey

i. The Visakhapatnam railway station is the cleanest, followed by Secunderabad, among the 75 busiest stations in the country. According to a survey, the report of which was released by railway minister Suresh Prabhu, the Jammu railway station occupied the third spot, while the New Delhi station was ranked at 39 among the busiest stations.

ii. The survey was carried out by the Quality Council of India. The Darbhanga railway station in Bihar was the dirtiest among the busiest stations.

iii. The railway station in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was ranked at 14th position.

Static Takeaways-

• Railway Minister of India is Suresh Prabhu
• First Railway Minister of India is John Mathai.

BSNL signs pacts with Facebook, MobiKwik

i. State-owned telecom operator BSNL has inked a clutch of agreements with Facebook and MobiKwik as its looks to popularize the internet and its value added services among customers.

ii. The pacts were signed to commemorate the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (17 May).

iii. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Facebook, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) will provide connectivity for the social network’s 'Express Wi-Fi Program’.

iv. The third MoU of BSNL with Disney India will provide premium online gaming services to mobile customers of the telecom operator.

Static Takeaways-

• Director of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is Shri Anupam Shrivastava
• Founder of Facebook is Mark Zuckerberg
• Founder of Mobikwik is Bipin Preet Singh.

ISRO receives 2014 Indira Gandhi Peace Prize

i. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presented now the 2014 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

ii. The award was announced by a jury headed by Vice President Hamid Ansari in 2014, consists of a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 1 crore.

iii. The Prize was awarded to ISRO in recognition of its path-breaking achievements culminating in the Mars orbiter mission and its significant contributions in strengthening international cooperation in peaceful use of outer space.

Static Takeaways-

• ISRO Chairman is A. S. Kiran Kumar and its headquarter is in Bengaluru

Bilateral Exercise Between Indian & Republic Of Singapore Navy SIMBEX-17 Commences

i. As part of 'SIMBEX-17', the ongoing Bilateral Naval Exercise between Navies of the Republic of Singapore and India, Indian Naval Ships Shivalik, Sahyadri, Jyoti and Kamorta are participating.

ii. SIMBEX is an acronym for "Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercises". Bilateral cooperation between Singapore and India was first formalized when RSN ships began training with the Indian Navy in 1994.

iii. This years edition of SIMBEX-17 being held in the South China Sea would be the 24th in the series.

Static Takeaways-

• Sunil Lanba is the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) of Indian Navy

Japan cabinet approves bill allowing emperor’s abdication

i. Japan's cabinet approved a bill that would allow Emperor Akihito to step down, paving the way for the first abdication by a Japanese emperor in nearly two centuries.

ii. Abdication must take place within three years of the bill becoming law.

iii. In August 2016, he publicly cited age and declining health, which was interpreted as his wish to hand the crown to his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito.

Static Takeaways-

• Shinzo Abe is the current Prime Minister of Japan
• Currency of Japan is Yen and its capital is Goku
• Central bank of Japan is named Bank of Japan
• 2020 summer Olympic games are going to be held in Tokyo and its Ambassador is GOKU (Character of a cartoon show).

Purnima Barman & Sanjay Gubbi Win The Prestigious ‘Green Oscars’ Award

i. Sanjay Gubbi of Karnataka and Purnima Barman of Assam have won the prestigious Whitley Award, popularly known as Green Oscars, for their efforts in wildlife conservation.

ii. The awards are instituted by the U.K.-registered charity Whitley Fund for Nature Conservation. While Mr. Gubbi has been awarded for his work to protect tiger corridors in Karnataka.

iii. Ms. Barman has won the award for her work in conservation of Assam’s Greater Adjutant Stork and its habitat.

Static Takeaways-

• The Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is the UK registered charity offering Whitley Awards and ongoing support to outstanding nature conservationists around the developing world

QUIZ-20

Q1. Name the squash player who recently scripted history by becoming the first Indian to clinch the Asian Squash title held in Chennai.

(a) Dipika Pallikal Karthik

(b) Saurav Ghoshal

(c) Abdul Bari

(d) Joshna Chinappa

(e) Anuroop Dayal

Q2. India and Turkey has recently signed an agreement to strengthen co-operation in combating terrorism. What is the Capital of Turkey?

(a) Cairo

(b) Ankara

(c) Monaco

(d) Pattaya

(e) Berlin

Q3. Name the Chief Minister of one of the Indian state who has been selected for the ‘Transformative Chief Minister Award 2017’ in recognition for his role in advancing the US-India partnership at the state level.

(a) Nitish Kumar

(b) Pinarayi Vijayan

(c) Chandrababu Naidu

(d) Siddaramaiah

(e) Naveen Patnaik

Q4. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has recently announced new office-bearers for the year 2017-18. Who has been appointed as the new President of CII?

(a) Shobana Kamineni

(b) D. Naushad Forbes

(c) Abdulla Ansari

(d) Humani Dutta

(e) Usha Gupta

Q5. Asha Parekh’s autobiography “Asha Parekh: The Hit Girl” was released recently in New Delhi. 'The Hit Girl' has been penned down by __________.

(a) Javed Akhtar

(b) Kamaal Rashid

(c) Salaman Rushdi

(d) Khalid Mohamed

(e) Manoj Darsheel

Q6. Name the city that has recently become the first city in the world to get its own Microsoft font.

(a) Geneva

(b) Dubai

(c) New Delhi

(d) Cairo

(e) Paris

Q7. Union government has recently launched two schemes “One IP- Two Dispensaries” and “Aadhaar based Online Claim Submission” on the occasion of International Labour Day. Who is the present Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment?

(a) D. V. Sadananda Gowda

(b) Gopinath Munde

(c) Bandaru Dattatreya

(d) Maneka Gandhi

(e) Anant Geete

Q8. Union Human Resource Development Minister PrakashJavadekar launched a nationwide campaign to encourage Universities to display portraits of Param Veer Chakra-decorated soldiers. What is the name of this campaign?

(a) Vidyathi-VeertaAbhiyan

(b) Vidya-Shakti Abhiyan

(c) Vidya-VeeranganaAbhiyan

(d) Vidya-VeertaAbhiyan

(e) Shakti-VeertaAbhiyan

Q9. Name the first person from the North-Eastern Region who took over as the New Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.

(a) Anthony Lianzuala

(b) AnupSisodia

(c) MukulRanjan

(d) RupeshNathGoel

(e) AbdurKazir

Q10. Name the recipient of ‘Transformative Chief Minister award' for 2016.

(a) ShankhaGhosh

(b) UpulChaturvedi

(c) Suparna Samantha

(d) Jaya Bhattacharya

(e) Amitabh Kant

Q11. Name the current Union Human Resource Development Minister of India.

(a) SmritiIrani

(b) Kalraj Mishra

(c) Radha Mohan Singh

(d) PrakashJavadekar

(e) Thawar Chand Gehlot

Q12. The World Press Freedom Day is observed globally on _________

(a) 1st May

(b) 3rd May

(c) 30th April

(d) 2nd May

(e) 29th April

Q13. On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, UNESCO has co-organized the World Press Freedom Day's main event and the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize Ceremony in _________________.

(a) Geneva, Switzerland

(b) New York, USA

(c) Jakarta, Indonesia

(d) Barcelona, Spain

(e) Saint John, Canada

Q14. Which of the following Indian state has recently become the first state to switch to the January-December financial year from the existing April-March cycle?

(a) Maharashtra

(b) Uttar Pradesh

(c) Odisha

(d) Tripura

(e) Madhya Pradesh

Q15. The World Press Freedom Day was observed recently by UNESCO. Who is the Director-General of UNESCO?

(a) Peter Thomson

(b) Ban Ki-moon

(c) Antonio Guterres

(d) Irina Bokova

(e) Juan Somavia

Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. JoshnaChinappa scripted history by becoming the first Indian to clinch the Asian Squash title with a thrilling win over compatriot DipikaPallikalKarthik in the women's final. The event was organized in Chennai.

S2. Ans.(b)
Sol. India and Turkey have strongly condemned the “use of double standards” in combating terrorism and agreed to strengthen cooperation in effectively dealing with the menace both bilaterally and at multilateral fora. The Capital of Turkey is Ankara and its Currency is Turkish lira.

S3. Ans.(c)
Sol. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been selected for the ‘Transformative Chief Minister Award 2017’ in recognition for his role in advancing the US-India partnership at the state level.

S4. Ans.(a)
Sol. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has recently announced new office-bearers for the year 2017-18. Ms. ShobanaKamineni, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd., has assumed office as the new President of CII. She is the first woman President of CII.

S5. Ans.(d)
Sol. Bollywood actor Aamir Khan launched renowned actress of her age, Asha Parekh’s autobiography “Asha Parekh: The Hit Girl” in New Delhi. 'The Hit Girl' has been penned down by the renowned film critic Khalid Mohamed.

S6. Ans.(b)
Sol. Dubai has become the first city in the world to get its own Microsoft font. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, launched the Dubai Font recently.

S7. Ans.(c)
Sol. Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment, ShriBandaruDattatreya launched two schemes “One IP- Two Dispensaries” and “Aadhaar based Online Claim Submission” on the occasion of International Labour Day (1st May).

S8. Ans.(d)
Sol. Union Human Resource Development Minister PrakashJavadekar launched 'Students for soldiers- a nationwide Vidya-VeertaAbhiyan' to encourage Universities to display portraits of Param Veer Chakra-decorated soldiers. The aim of this Abhiyan is to instill a sense of patriotism and nationalism among students.

S9. Ans.(a)
Sol. Mr. Anthony Lianzuala took over as the New Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance with effect from May 1, 2017, in New Delhi. He is the First person from the North-Eastern Region to hold this position.

S10. Ans.(e)
Sol. The recipient of ‘Transformative Chief Minister award' for 2016 was Amitabh Kant, CEO of NitiAayog.

S11. Ans.(d)
Sol. PrakashJavadekar is the current Union Human Resource Development Minister of India.

S12. Ans.(b)
Sol. Every year, 3rd May is celebrated as the World Press Freedom Day. It is celebrated by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. UNESCO, the Government of Indonesia, and the Press Council of Indonesia co-organized the World Press Freedom Day's main event and the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize Ceremony in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 1-4 May 2017.

S14. Ans.(e)
Sol. Madhya Pradesh has become the first state to switch to the January-December financial year from the existing April-March cycle. A decision to this effect was taken at the state cabinet meeting held in Bhopal.

S15. Ans.(d)
Sol. Every year, 3rd May is celebrated as the World Press Freedom Day. It is celebrated by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Irina Bokova is the Director-General of UNESCO.

Daily GK Update 19th May 2017

Recent Important Cabinet Approvals- May 2017

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval in the various fields and has also approved some important MoUs.
ii. The important approvals of the Cabinet are as follows-

The Cabinet has approved-

• Signing of the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting by India.
• Construction of 10 units of India’s indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR).
• MoU between India and Australia on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime.
• Faculty Exchange Agreement between National Defence College, New Delhi and National Defence College, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• Pan-India implementation of Maternity Benefit Program- Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers who are eligible will receive a cash benefit of Rs.5,000/- in three installments.
• Agreement between India and Tajikistan on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters.

Everything you need to know about GST rates declared so far 

i. On day one The Goods and Services Tax (GST) meeting in Srinagar has caught the attention of the market given its implications on earnings of companies.
ii. The nine rules finalized by the council pertain to composition, valuation, transition, input tax credit, invoice, payment, refund, registration and return.

iii. The government categorized 1211 items under various tax slabs. Here is a lowdown on the tax slab these items would attract-:

No tax

No tax will be imposed on items like fresh meat, fish chicken, eggs, milk, buttermilk, curd, natural honey, fresh fruits and vegetables, flour, besan, bread, salt, stamps, judicial papers, printed books, newspapers, bangles, handloom etc.

5%

Items such as fish fillet, cream, skimmed milk powder, branded paneer, frozen vegetables, coffee, tea, spices, pizza bread, rusk, sabudana, kerosene, coal, medicines, stent, lifeboats will attract tax of 5 %.

12%

Frozen meat products , butter, cheese, ghee, dry fruits in packaged form, animal fat, sausage, fruit juices, namkeen, Ayurvedic medicines, tooth powder, colouring books, picture books, umbrella, sewing machine, and cellphones will be under 12 % tax slab.

18%

Most items are under this tax slab which includes flavored refined sugar, pasta, cornflakes, pastries and cakes, preserved vegetables, jams, sauces, soups, ice cream, instant food mixes, mineral water, notebooks, steel products, printed circuits, camera, speakers and monitors.

28%

Chewing gum, molasses, chocolate not containing cocoa, waffles and wafers coated with choclate, pan masala, aerated water, paint, deodorants, shaving creams, hair shampoo, dye, sunscreen, wallpaper, ceramic tiles, water heater, dishwasher, weighing machine, washing machine, ATM, vending machines, automobiles, motorcycles, aircraft for personal use, and yachts will attract 28 % tax the highest under GST system.

PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate India’s longest river bridge in Assam on May 26

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India’s longest river bridge 'Dhola-Sadiya bridge' in Assam on May 26.
ii. It will bolster the road connectivity in the Northeast as the bridge will be used by people of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh besides defence forces extensively.

All you need to know about India’s longest river bridge:

1. The length of the Dhola-Sadiya bridge is 9.15 km and is built cross river Lohit at the easternmost tip of Assam.
2. Dhola-Sadiya bridge will be the longest bridge in India overtaking the Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai.
3. Lohit is one of three rivers – the others are Dibang and Siang – that meet to form the Brahmaputra downstream of the site of the bridge.
4. The bridge, designed to facilitate the movement of battle tanks will help the movement of troops to the border with China in the Wallong-Kibithu sector in southern Arunachal Pradesh.
5. The project was started in 2011. It will reduce the travel time for people on either bank of river Lohit by at least eight hours.

Start up India Summit to be held in Dubai

i. CGI (Consulate General of India) Dubai and Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi in partnership with iSPIRIT, a nonprofit think tank will host a two-day “Start-up India Summit” in UAE on 23rd and 24th of May 2017.
ii. This is the first such “Start-Up Summit” being held in the UAE. The aim is to provide a shared platform for the Start-up ecosystem in both India and UAE for greater collaboration, exchange ideas, interact with academia, investors and industry.

 NITI Aayog holds the first Samavesh meeting

i. With an aim to bring together 32 premier educational and policy research institutions to catalyse the country’s development process, government think-tank NITI Aayog hold the first Samavesh meeting.
ii. In pursuance of the PM call for a New India 2022, the meeting comes under the co-chairmanship of Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO and Shri Ratan P Watal, Principal Adviser of NITI Aayog. 

Harsh Vardhan gets additional charge of Environment Ministry

i. Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan was given additional charge of the Environment Ministry following the death of Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave.
ii. It was in accordance with the President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee.

PM to inaugurate Annual Meetings of African Development Bank

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) on May 23, 2017.
ii. This is the first time in the history of AfDB Group that India would be hosting the Annual Meetings of the bank.
iii. The meetings are to be held from May 22 to 26 at Gandhinagar in Gujarat. The core theme of the event is "Transforming Agriculture for Wealth Creation in Africa".

Indian Army gets its first modern artillery gun almost 30 years after Bofors

i. The Indian Army received two 155mm/39 caliber Ultra Lightweight Howitzer artillery guns from BAE Systems in the United States of America.
ii. The Army had test-fire the guns at Pokhran, Rajasthan, recently. This comes after almost 30 years the Bofors howitzers were introduced in the late 1980s. 

Japan's SoftBank Invests Rs 9,000 Crore in Paytm

i. Softbank has made its biggest investment in an Indian digital enterprise by sealing a funding round of Rs 9,000 crore ($1.4 billion) in mobile payments provider Paytm.

ii. This is the largest fund infusion by a single investor in an Indian start-up and also Softbank's largest investment in a single company in India.

Paytm Payments Bank names Renu Satti as the new CEO

i. Paytm has announced its long-time executive and vice president Renu Satti will be the CEO of its Paytm payments bank.
ii. India's leading digital wallet player Paytm has recently received the final licence from the Reserve Bank of India for its payments bank entity. 

Important Takeaways from above GK Update for Exams are as follows-

• Indian Ambassador to UAE is Mr. Navdeep Suri
• Mr. Vipul recently took charge as new Consul General of Dubai
• Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• Chairman of NITI Aayog is PM of India
• Planning Commission of India replaced by NITI Aayog.
• Dr. Harsh Vardhan is the incumbent minister at Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Anil Madhav Dave was the former Union Environment Minister
• Akinwumi Adesina is the current President of the AfDB.
• BAE Systems is an Aerospace company is responsible for the design, development, and production of combat 
   

  vehicles, ammunition, artillery systems, naval guns and missile launchers.
• BAE Systems is headquartered in USA
• General Bipin Rawat is the 27th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.
• Paytm is a consumer brand of One97 Communications and its head office is in Noida
• CEO of Paytm is Vijay Shekhar Sharma
• CEO and Chairman of Softbank is Masayoshi Son and its headquarter is in Tokyo, Japan.
• Paytm is a consumer brand of One97 Communications and its head office is in Noida

QUIZ-19

Q1. What is the rank of India in the recently released World Happiness Report, 2017.
Answer: 122

Q2. Name the cricketer who has recently become the first Indian to face 500 balls in a Test innings.
Answer: Cheteshwar Pujara

Q3. Name the person who has been recently appointed as Managing Director and CEO of Indian Bank.
Answer: Kishore Piraji Kharat

Q4. Headquarter of Bhartiya Mahila Bank is situated in ___________.
Answer: New Delhi

Q5. What is the theme of International Day of Forest 2017?
Answer: Forests and energy

Q6. Chairperson of which public lender has been ranked 26th among the world's 50 greatest leaders, according to Fortune Magazine?
Answer: SBI

Q7. The External Affairs Ministry and the department of posts has recently announced the opening of a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) at Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. First POPSK was launched in __________.
Answer: Mysore

Q8. The 105th session of Indian Science Congress (ISC) will be hosted by Osmania University, Hyderabad in January, 2018. The theme of the 105th session of Indian Science Congress is _________.
Answer: Science and Technology - Reaching the Unreached

Q9. Name the country that has recently (26th March) celebrated its 46th Independence day.
Answer: Bangladesh

Q10. Name the world champion who has recently won the Australian Grand Prix for Ferrari.
Answer: Sebastian Vettel

Q11. Name the lender that has been recently adjudged the ‘Best Small Bank for 2016’.
Answer: Karur Vysya Bank

Q12. Union Petroleum Ministry has recently launched MoPNG e Seva dedicated grievances redressal platform on Social Media for all queries and grievances relating to Oil and Gas Sector. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas is ____________.
Answer: Shri Dharmendra Pradhan

Q13. Name the first state in India to carry financial inclusion and extend banking services to unbanked areas through Self Help Groups (SHGs).
Answer: Odisha

Q14. Name the bank that has digitally inaugurated 40 ‘Ananya’ transformed branches under Project Ananya.
Answer: Syndicate Bank

Q15. Name the public lender that has recently entered into an MoU with Piaggio Vehicles for providing financial support for the purchase of vehicles under Small Road Transport Operators (SRTO) scheme.
Answer: Vijaya Bank

Daily GK Update 18th May 2017

Cabinet Minister inaugurates 15th National Meeting for Persons with Disabilities

i. Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment inaugurated the “15th National Meeting of the State Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities (PwD)” to review Implementation of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of rights and Full Participation) Act-1995. 

ii. The two-day meeting has been organized by the Office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities under Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

CCEA approves new coal linkage policy 2017

i. Cabinet approve signing of Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) with Letter of Assurance (LoA) holders of Thermal Power Plants(TPPs), and Introduces a new more transparent coal allocation policy for Power Sector, 2017-SHAKTI (Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala (Coal) Transparently in India).
ii. The approved framework ensures that all projects with linkages are supplied coal as per their entitlement. This will ensure the rights of coal supplies for FSA holders and signing of FSA with LoA holders.

Cabinet approves agreement between India and Tajikistan 

i. Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing and ratifying, an agreement between India and Tajikistan on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters. ii. The agreement will help in the availability of relevant information for the prevention and investigation of Customs offenses. 
iii. The Cabinet also gave its approval for the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting.

Cabinet approves construction of 10 units of India’s indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors

i. In a significant decision to fast-track India’s domestic nuclear power program, and give a push to country’s nuclear industry, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for construction of 10 units of India’s indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR). 

ii. The total installed capacity of the Plants will be 7000 MW. The 10 PHWR project will result in a significant augmentation of nuclear power generation capacity.  It would be one of the flagship “Make in India” projects in this sector. 

J&K to host 14th GST Council meet in Srinagar

i. The Jammu and Kashmir government is hosting the 14th Goods & Services Tax (GST) Council meeting in the summer capital Srinagar beginning today (18th May 2017). ii. The State administration is gearing up for the meeting of the GST Council headed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
 iii. The GST is a value added tax and is proposed to be a comprehensive indirect tax levied on the manufacture, sale, and consumption of goods as well as services by the Central and State governments. J&K is among 8 States which are yet to ratify the GST.

Naidu announces 24x7 DD channel for Jharkhand

i. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu announced a round-the-clock Doordarshan channel for Jharkhand.  

ii. Jharkhand has been given the most film-friendly award by the National Film Awards. 
iii.The Union Minister stated in order to set up a film city in the state, assistance will be taken from the National Film Development Corporation and the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata.

Paytm get final nod to launch Payment Bank

i. Digital payment and commerce company Paytm has received the final nod from the Reserve Bank of India and is set to launch Paytm Payments Bank on May 23, 2017. ii. Paytm is the third company from the 11 other applicants to launch payments bank after Airtel and IndiaPost. Mumbai-based Finopay Tech is also likely to launch its operations by next month (June).

Shri Bandaru Dattatreya launches EPFOs Citizens Charter 2017 & e-court management system 

i. The Minister of State for Labour & Employment(IC), Shri Bandaru Dattatreya launched EPFOs Citizens Charter 2017 and e-court management system in Bangalore. ii. The citizens charter has been launched with the vision of social security coverage to all employees as well as implementation of policies for benefit of all stakeholders with adequate support level of social security. 
iii. EPFO e-court Management System has been launched with the vision of transparent and electronic case management system which will cater to aspirations of all stakeholders the employers, the employees, litigants and CBT.  
iv. Also, Retirement fund manager EPFO has reduced the stipulated period for settlement of various claims such PF withdrawal, pension and insurance to 10 days from 20 at present.

M S Boje Gowda takes over as Coffee Board Chairman

i. M S Boje Gowda, a third generation planter from the country's key coffee growing region of Chikmagalur, took over as the Coffee Board Chairman after a gap of almost 70 years. 
ii. Gowda became the first grower to assume 

Country's first ornamental fish park to come up at Chennai

i. India's first Aquatic Rainbow Technology Park, an ultra modern exclusive facility for ornamental fish equipped with multi-species hatchery and live feed culture units, will become operational at Chennai in coming three months. 
ii. The facility was being developed by Fisheries College and Research Institute (FCRI), Ponneri in Tamil Nadu the second largest exporter of ornamental fish after West Bengal. 

Indian teen has developed world's smallest satellite for NASA

i. The US’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will launch the world’s smallest satellite named 'KalamSat', it will be the first time ever that it would be piloting an experiment by an Indian student.
 ii. Developed by Rifath Sharook, an 18-year-old boy, from Tamil Nadu’s Pallapatti town, KalamSat weighs only 64 grams. ‘KalamSat’, named after India's nuclear scientist and former President, APJ Abdul Kalam, will be launched from a Nasa facility in Wallops Island. 

Mukesh Ambani tops Forbes list of 'Global Game Changers' for bringing internet to masses

i. Forbes magazine has named Reliance Industries (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani as the topmost among its "Global Game Changers" who are transforming their industries and changing the lives of billions around the world. 

ii. The American magazine referred to the Ambani-led Reliance Jio mobile network's efforts to spread internet penetration in India. 

Union environment minister Anil Madhav Dave dies

i. Union environment minister Anil Madhav Dave has passed away. He was 60. He was born in Barnagar in Madhya Pradesh. 
ii. He was a Rajya Sabha MP representing Madhya Pradesh, Anil Dave took charge as Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge) on July 06, 2016 following a reshuffle in the Narendra Modi Cabinet.


Actress Reema Lagoo passes away

i. Veteran actress Reema Lagoo, known for her performance in movies like “Hum Aapke Hain Koun” and “Kal Ho Na Ho”, died due to a cardiac arrest in Mumbai. She was 59. 
ii. Her acting career spanned over four decades and she was last seen on the television show “Naamkaran”, aired on Star Plus.

Mohammad Anas Breaks 400m National Record; Qualifies For World C’ships

i. Kerala quartermiler Mohammad Anas smashed the national record in men's 400m race on route to winning a gold medal at the third leg of the Indian Grand Prix Athletics Meet in New Delhi. 
ii. He also qualified for the World Championships to be held in London in August.

Important Takeaways from above GK Update for Exams are as follows-

• After the passing of Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Bill, the categories of Divyangjans have increased from 7 to 21.
• Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot is the Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment
• Tajikistan capital is Dushanbe and currency is Tajikistani somoni
• PM of Tajikistan is Kokhir Rasulzoda.
• Piyush Goyal is the Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines in the Government of India.
• Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS) was the first nuclear power plant in India.
• Summer capital of J&K is Srinagar and winter capital is Jammu
• Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed is the Chief Minister of J&K
• Mr. Haseeb A. Drabu is the Minister of Finance of J&K
• CEO and Founder of Paytm is Vijay Shekhar Sharma
• Paytm Headquarter is in Noida
• The first company to received nod from RBI to launch Payment Bank is Airtel.
• EPFO full form is Employees' Provident Fund Organization
• Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) chairman is A Jayathilak 
• The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) is a Government of India company headquartered at Kochi, Kerala
• President of USA Dwight D. Eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1958
• Acting Administrator of NASA is Robert M. Lightfoot Jr.
• Forbes is an American business magazine was founded in 1917
• Forbes headquarter is in New York City, USA.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is an Indian government ministry which was founded in 1985.
• Veteran actress Reema Lagoo passed away at the age of 59.